about that vampire house in twilight

unlike just about everybody these days, i didn't read the twilight books. but i did have a lovely afternoon with my best diva friend watching the movie {dvd}, in pj's and chillaxin'. although i thought it was a mediocre film {gasp! how could i say such a thing & risk the sneers of teen vampire admirers everywhere??}, the main thing that stood-out as fantastic to me was the cullen house ~ the house where the vampire family lived, supposedly in the woods near forks, washington. this house is a beautiful architectural and design marvel of modern styling made to fit elegantly well in the woods; and i'm ready to move in! it's been a nice little quest to figure out where this house is truly located and who designed it. how can i live in it if i don't even know where it is??
low and behold, this beauty is actually located near portland, oregon and was designed by a star-studded pacific northwest team: skylab architecture. originally set as a spec home it was quickly purchased up by one of the owners of nike. darn! i'll keep my eyes out for it to go on the market again. ;o)
in real life it's called the hoke house and the genius behind it is named jeff kovel. this guy pretty much rocks every project he's ever done. . . . maybe he's looking for a design assistant? i am so impressed with his vision and style, and this hoke house is one great example of just what jeff can do. to learn more about jeff and his portfolio, and more about the hoke/cullen house, check out this fabulous interview on design tavern.

and to continue with the house tour, do ya wanna peek inside?? ah, yeah, of course you do:gorgeous, gorgeous, and more gorgeous!
it occurred to me after doing the research for this post that maybe it's already been blogged to death? i have been so out of the blog-loop the last several months. . . .so my apologies if this is so yesterday. i am truly inspired by skylab's incredible work in this house and the photos all make me smile, so i'm blogging it no matter how many others have done so before me. ;o)
{photos found on skylab's website & on design-tavern}

to cheer you

i know some one who could use some cheering-up,
so i made a little photo montage to brighten your day and lighten your thoughts.
onward and upward!

sew satisfied

i recently completed a nice little sewing project, using the fabric stacked above, for a teen-inspired entertainment room i redesigned. everything turned out so well, that i'm hoping to make a habit of sewing custom pieces for clients going forward. it's a great way to add a unique touch to an interiors project and really make it my own. plus, it often costs less for me to make pillows and window treatments than it is to buy them at a shop, so it's a win-win for my clients! i chose the fabrics and created the pattern for all six pillows and three window valances ~ all of which are made with washable, fade-resistant fabrics. . . . . simple and contemporary with a bit of whimsy for the teen sensibility, don't you think? hopefully soon i'll have some photos of these beauties in the new room to share too!

dance up close in mill valley

oh i'm excited about this one! there's a very special dance performance coming soon that'll give you a rare opportunity to be up close & personal with some very incredible dancers. {printz dance project plus some other powerhouse performers!}
tickets are really affordable {sliding scale $5-$15} and the location is adorable....
just across the golden gate at roco dance & fitness in mill valley
may 8th at 8:30pm & may 9th at both 6:30pm & 8:30pm

what a good day.....

.....to start blogging again!
as you might have presumed by now, i have been extremely distracted with all the changes in my life and i just couldn't keep-up with blogging. but, as you can see from the lovely little flower fairy above, i have good reason. with the new season of spring upon us and easter being only a couple days away, i just wanted to pop on here with an update and some spring cheer to share!

first off, is the subject of seating:
here is a lovely little toddler bench i designed & had built with my father. yes, i had it built locally in my dad's woodshop. see i'm a very lucky designer, because i have a very talented carpenter father who can make anything out of wood. any thing. he is an elite member of a rare breed of woodworker ~ he is a true craftsman. i have been reeling with ideas of furniture for him to make {and hopefully someday to sell}! here is the first of our father-daughter projects together ~ i think it turned out really well.it's a solid oak bench/step-stool, sized just right for a toddler. being solid wood, it's not super light-weight, but i think that is a very good thing so it won't go tumbling over when a toddler climbs all over it. it has a handle space in the back for easy mobility and it has an open space beneath the seat for putting special things that need their very own place. it's a clean & simple design, and would fit well in many styles of home decor. know anyone who might want one?

also on the subject of seating, i have been loving going to flea markets lately. here is one of my fabulous finds, or should i say two:
i don't know what it is about this fresh & funky vinyl, but i love it! i mean, really, how could you not be cheered up in the morning sipping coffee & fresh squeezed juice while you're sitting on one of these happy chairs?!?!


second subject, is the subject of home. for those of you who haven't heard, i'm doing a fun little dance between two very wonderful, but very different, places..... san francisco and corvallis. i won't dive into the details of my west coast bounce, but suffice it to say i am loving both places very much. what can i say, i am a true town & country girl.

{at coit tower on top of telegraph hill, a couple weeks ago}

{walking at bald hill outside corvallis two days ago}

we love the sunshine and all this springtime splendor, and we hope you're enjoying all the rejuvenation and fresh sweetness of the season!

{photo of a & a taken by the incredible jeff zender}

the green home center

i finally got a chance to visit the green home center on polk street and am so glad i did! this is a very inspiring place for me because ever since i did a school project on designing a green design center i've been dreaming about being able to own one. it was fabulous to see one up and running and doing really well. the green home center is a co-op of many different green-oriented businesses from contractors & interior designers to home-related products & other services. there are cabinet makers, upholstery & rug makers, solar engineers, tile & countertop farbicators, flooring manufacturers, led lighting, and so much more. really if you're at all interested in anything sustainable for your home or office you must stop in and check them out. what's more, the people working there are extremely knowledgeable and helpful ~ not pretentious in the least, which is a relief after spending so much time at the sf design center where i'm perpetually unimpressed with the sales people's attitudes. but that is a tangent not worth digging in to.... anyway, i'm just on the cusp of starting my own green design business {admitting it here is kind of intimidating, but i'll just take the leap and say it anyway!} and spending time at the green home center was thoroughly uplifting and encouraging. i hope you'll stop in and visit them soon too. if you do please tell them studio wellspring sent you and then let me know what you think!

polyvore amore

do you like to browse for interesting images? do you like to make collages? do like to research all types of products? do you like to share collections you make? if you answered "yes" to any of these questions then polyvore is for you. i can't even begin to tell you how elated i am to have found this website. i just spent 300 hours playing around on there and i could easily do 300 more if it wasn't time to go make some supper. basically it gives you the ability to search through thousands of images to create collage collections with any theme and subject you can dream up and then share them with others. plus it gives you exact product information on every single image in its database, so if you love something enough to want to buy it, you're good to go. just look at the fun i made in the last couple hours.....seriously folks this site rocks!

meet mimosa ~ pantone's color of 2009

pantone has chosen a warm yellow shade to represent optimism and positivity in an uncertain economy. this year, the design industry’s authority on professional color selected number 14-0848, a warm yellow, as their annual hue, symbolizing optimism in an evolving global market.
"the color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance," explains leatrice eiseman, executive director of the pantone color institute®. "mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."
best illustrated by the abundant flowers of the mimosa tree and the sparkle of the brilliantly hued cocktail, the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow. mimosa is a versatile shade that coordinates with any other color, has appeal for men and women, and translates to both fashion and interiors. look for women's accessories, home furnishings, active sportswear and men's ties and shirts in this vibrant hue.

{umbrella image by jennifer.leigh}

{rex ray at sold at cb2}

{lamp photo by xgray}

{vases photo by brauseholic}

{mod room photo from beauty mist}

{nouvelle boheme photo found on gipsy bazaar}

{photos by the sartorialist}

and this color just so happens to match shambhala's great eastern sun banner perfectly!

{photo by hjem}

trying to catch up

new post, new post!

oh my, how did an entire month go by without me updating my swellspring?

what with christmas, visiting family, new years, road tripping from oregon to san francisco, getting laid off {while on maternity leave, imagine that!}, designing myself a website and raising a newborn, my blog has kind of taken a back burner. so this is just a triage post, to let you know i'm still alive, and to try to get us caught up.

so what's new & noteworthy.....

{alesia's new quilt made by her grandma....and she's 3 months old now, by the way}

{a new addition to my family: a mini cooper in peacock teal! ultra-fabulous! i took this photo at a look-out point on highway 101 on the oregon coast with one of my most favorite spots in the world in the background: heceta head lighthouse}

{alesia's 1st tango lesson, with none other than my favorite tango teacher, ney melo, at his studio tango vida. also note jennifer bratt's incredible collection of come-il-faut shoes displayed in the background....jewels for your feet!}

{speaking of feet....i'm able to wear hottie heels again, and am loving it. oh and i've only got about 5 more pounds to go until i'm back at pre-pregnancy weight. phew!}

{my first manhattan since getting pregnant. it was a long time comin' and i loved every sip!}

{i got a new queen mattress set & alesia got a new bumbo.... moms if you haven't heard of the bumbo baby seat trust me and go get it right away. it is the best baby docking station i've found so far. so now both alesia and i have new comfy places to chill ~ ahhh!}

{vicente wolf's book "crossing boundaries, a global vision of design" is a new favorite that i highly recommend ~ lots of design eye candy and gorgeous photographs from all over the world, madagascar to myanmar}

what's new with you? goodness gracious i've missed blogging, and i've missed you!